


only miss the sun

by BoiJustLetMeBe



Series: Weasleys and the Oliver Development [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Charlie Weasley, Casual Sex, Confrontations, F/M, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Light Angst, M/M, Memories, Photographs, Pining Oliver, Post-Wedding, Swearing, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unrequited Love, charlie is a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoiJustLetMeBe/pseuds/BoiJustLetMeBe
Summary: Oliver hasn't been coping well since Percy's wedding. Getting drunk and hooking up with people who remind him of the person he'd rather be with isn't the way to go, so Charlie confronts him and attempts to help. + Oliver tries to pinpoint the moment he fell in love with Percy.
Relationships: Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Charlie Weasley & Oliver Wood, Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
Series: Weasleys and the Oliver Development [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1853377
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42
Collections: UnrequitedLoveORareThey





	only miss the sun

**Author's Note:**

> Similar idea to my other fic 'Could've'

The flaming hatred in his gaze would've been able to set the photograph on fire. 

The photo was taken on his best friend's wedding day, Percy and Audrey were all happy and smiley clinging to each other, both of them too completely absorbed in a world of their own to notice anything. And by anything Oliver meant his own dreadful misery. Oliver hadn't been coping very well since the marriage --if sitting alone in a pub staring daggers at a photograph was anything to go by. 

He knew he was stupid for even thinking he had a chance with Percy. Well, he might of if he had done something about it, if he hadn't been a coward and actually told his red-haired prince how he felt before it was too late. Part of him thought it was just a nightmare, that any second, he would wake up with Percy by his side, in the flat they use to live in together, like things were supposed to be. A bigger part of him had let the reality sink in. In the past couple of months since the wedding Oliver had come to realize all his hopes, dreams and plans for the future were destroyed. Puddlemere United were sure to win the league next season but Oliver had come to realize that none of that mattered because Percival Ignatius Weasley, the man of his dreams, the source of all his fantasies, the person who owned his heart without even knowing it, was married to someone who wasn't him. 

Trying to get rid of the constant throbbing in his chest seemed impossible. Everyday Oliver tried drowning his sorrows by keeping busy: thinking up new strategies, working out other teams strategies, considering new marketing techniques to sell more tickets to their games; but he simply couldn't find the motivation, nothing seemed worth it now that Percy was gone. Not even flying --which was the one thing that had always managed to clear his mind-- could ease any of the pain. 

Oliver ever so tenderly ghosted his fingertips across the man in the photograph who briefly turned to wave at him. Percy looked so beautiful. Sunlight turning his curls into actual flames, freckles turning his face into a night sky of constellations, eyes the colour of the sky on a crisp autumn morning perfect for Quidditch, tailored suit framing his confident tall lean body staggeringly.

He could feel the prick of tears in his eyes, he hated the feelings inside him. Pain, regret, agony, desperation, anger, guilt. No matter how hard he tried, Oliver simply couldn't bring himself to hate Audrey, she was trusting, kind and so full of life. She was good for his perfect Percy. Oliver had even tried hating Percy but that was even more impossible, he loved him too deeply. Though it did mean Oliver was left hating himself for his emotions.

A flash of red entering the pub pulled him from his mind. He downed the rest of his drink and stuffed the photo in his front pocket before heading to the bar. 

Oliver had found a coping mechanism. Alcohol and sex. 

He prepared himself for the usual as he tapped the redhead on their shoulder, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" but was not prepared for the man who turned to look at him.

"Charlie?!"

"Hey Oliver, glad I found you. The seat's free if you want it. Planning on adding me to the list of redheads you've fucked? Because I'm sorry to disappoint, but you won't find much luck here mate." Oliver could do nothing but stand gaping at his former team Captain, before slumping into the chair and giving him a hasty reply, "What do you mean by that?"

Charlie looked down into the small glass in his hand swirling the golden looking liquid inside it, his voice was too casual, "One-night stand. A friend of mine, Matthew, he works in the big dragon reserve in Wales," Oliver vaguely remembers a Matt from a week or two ago, he'd been too short with wide hips, no freckles, no glasses, green eyes instead of sky blue and his hair was more ginger rather than flaming red. "What about it? It was a mere casual fuck." Oliver froze realising his mistake.

Charlie shot him a look from the corner of his eye, "So it was you? He could remember everything about the evening... Except the person he spent it with. As if there was a memory charm or something involved." 

"I'm a popular Quidditch player, can't have everyone I fuck remember me. It was nothing personal." Oliver stated, wincing slightly as he realized how that sounded. 

Charlie huffed and shook his head, "Popular you may be, but I must say you're looking terrible," Oliver shot an offended look in the direction of the other man. Oliver knew he looked terrible, over worked during the day then some nights he spent crying his heart out wallowing in self-pity, while the others he spent drunk off his rockers or fucking some guy that vaguely reminded him of the person he'd rather be fucking, but then again if Oliver did have ‘him’ he wouldn't fuck him, he'd make sweet sweet love to him, he'd worship him. 

Charlie took a sip of his drink then continued in a nonchalant tone, "Mind you, he said it was very enjoyable. Said you took him roughly from behind just as he'd asked. Only downer was you called him by another name," Oliver paled instantly wishing he had another drink to drown himself in, "He said you were calling him... Percy."

Eyes fixed on the counter; his breath caught in his throat at the mention of that name. Oliver couldn't look at Charlie, he simply couldn't. All his insides were squirming uncomfortably and his whole being burned with deep shame. His heart was racing a million miles per second like a rabbit that had just been pounced by a fox. This was how the great Oliver Wood was going to die, not by some fatal Quidditch accident, but by having his deepest darkest truth scraped out from the depths of his heart and laid in front of him, all by the older brother of the person Oliver desires so much.

Oliver felt a hand on his shoulder squeezing gently in a comforting notion, the voice that followed was equally gentle and carried an undertone of pity, “Oliver, look at me. It’s okay. I’m not going to hex you for it. I’d already figured it out.” Oliver looked at him disbelievingly and Charlie let his arm drop, "I mean I’d kind of known before (not having a romance of my own leaves a lot of time to observe others), but in that speech you gave at the wedding you practically said it should be you marring him not some random woman he met at a Muggle park. I'm honestly surprised I was the only one who picked up on it. " 

Oliver stared at him for a while before grumbling, “It was a joke.” 

Charlie raised his eyebrows humming “Sure it was.”

In the few moments of silence that passed Oliver found the dull throbbing in his chest had returned so he flagged down the bartender mumbling something along the lines of: “I’m not drunk enough for this.” 

Charlie waited until Oliver had taken a large gulp of his drink before continuing, “I’d always suspected it really. Honestly did think it was going to say Oliver and Percy on the wedding invitation that came through my door. You forget that I was your team Captain at one point, I noticed that most of the Quaffles you missed had something to do with a certain redhead with glasses sitting in the stands, I didn’t want to embarrass you so I never brought it up.” 

Oliver shook his head and laughed but there was no humour lacing the sound, “Even then huh. I only properly realized I was in love with him when he first met Audrey… I don’t know when I actually fell in love, I feel like I’ve spent my whole life loving him.” Oliver brought the drink to his lips as he adverted his gaze. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently… about when I actually fell in love with him.” Charlie was sitting silently waiting for him to continue so he did, “Maybe when he cooked me my favourite meal back when we lived together, and I was first made Puddlemere United’s Captain. Maybe when we got that apartment in London together. Maybe when we won the Cup in our seventh year and he kissed my cheek,” It was ridiculous that he could list off the times, it was so obvious that he was in love yet he never realised. “I mean, I feel towards Audrey what I had felt towards Penelope it just seems more intense, I had known Penelope wouldn’t last so I didn’t think to explore the feelings seeing her with him gave me. But I guess that means I had already loved him back then.” Oliver let himself drift off for a moment, memories invading his mind like a broken dam. “So maybe it was when he comforted me after that big loss in our fifth year. Maybe it was the summer of fourth year when he came to stay over with my parents in Scotland. Maybe it was during the mess that was our third year. Maybe it was when I woke up to him holding my hand while reading Quidditch Through the Ages after I took a Bludger to the head in second year.”

“Or maybe,” Oliver’s voice dropped as if he was suddenly only talking to himself meaning Charlie had to lean in so he could hear, “it was all the way back in September of 1987 when he’d taken my hand on the Hogwarts Express and told me to sit next to him.” The quiet words struggled to make their way past Oliver’s lips for they knew once they were out, they could never be taken back, “I have been, am, and will always be, in love with Percival Ignatius Weasley. He might have found others but one thing’s for sure, I’ve never been anyone’s but his.”

Charlie nodded silently letting the words sink in as Oliver took another sip of his drink that burned all the way down his dry throat, “So this is what you’re doing, getting drunk and hooking up with people who remind you of him? Percy wouldn’t want this for you, Oliver.” Charlie said finally looking at Oliver with genuine concern. 

“I’m lost Charlie. He is my North Star; I always knew where I was going when he was in my sight.” Oliver exasperated, “He’s just always been there by my side I’d never imagined it any other way.”

Charlie looked at him contemplatively before sighing, “Whether you try to move on or not is your decision. But Percy’s going to need a best friend through this process. So, you need to clean up your act, if not for your sake do it for Percy’s.”

They gazed at each other for a few seconds when finally, Oliver gave in and nodded, "You’re right. It’s not like Percy is dead, and I am first and foremost his best friend." 

Charlie smiled, "Good, now let's get you home.” Slowly they booth stood up but Charlie stopped Oliver before he could walk off, his tone serious, “But Oliver, if you need to get away from everything for a while, instead of resorting to ‘this’, you’re welcome to come stay with me in Romania for a bit.” Oliver nodded gratefully before remembering something, shyly he looked to the ground and muttered, "Please don't tell anyone about this." Charlie chuckled lightly, "Of course not, mate." and just as they made their way outside Oliver asked, "Do you think they’re going to last?"

“Percy and Audrey? Only time will tell… but, I wouldn’t count on it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Got a bit sloppy at the end sorry.  
> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed :))


End file.
